Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Published by : PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS

ISSN 1681-715X

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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Volume 22

April - June 2006

Number 2


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Does weight for age have prognostic significance
in children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia?

Atta-ur-Rehman Khan, Moeen-ul-Haq Sheikh, Kiran Intekhab

ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess the effects of nutrition status (Weight for Age) of leukemic children on the treatment outcome.

Design: A prospective study from May, 1996 to June, 1999.

Setting: Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore.

Patients and Methods: One hundred patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) below the age of 14 years with L1 and L2 FAB morphology were included in this study. Treatment protocol used was FBM. Patients were classified according to waterlow classifications of malnutrition (1976). Group-I, as Under-Nourished children (UNC) and Group-II as Well-nourished children (WNC).Percentages in both groups were found out with respect to total expired, Relpses and completed treatment.

Results: In Group-I (UNC) 44.5% completed treatment and are alive, 9.5% relapsed and 46% expired. In Group-II (WNC) 59.5% completed treatment and are alive, 5.5% relapsed and 35% expired. Overall, in WNC group 22% completed treatment and are alive, 2% relapsed and 13% expired. In UNC group 28% completed treatment and are alive, 6% relapsed and 29% expired. Our data was not significant (P=0.791) to prove the hypothesis that the malnutrition (Anthropometrical) adversely effects the treatment outcome in Pakistani children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

Conclusion: Weight for age does not has prognostic significance in children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and should not be considered as prognostic factor.

KEY WORDS: Malnutrition, Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Children, Prognosis.

Pak J Med Sci April - June 2006 Vol. 22 No. 2 167 - 170


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